Star*Soldier Gloss: Page 11 (August 23, 2008)

Bandit LOAF

Bandit LOAF

Long Live the Confederation!
This is the Star*Soldier gloss for the seventh Joan's page:
CONCEPT: See the [post=359614]previous post[/post]!

REFERENCES-
  • "General Wright" - Stingray from Wing Commander II. This is expanded in the pilot bios section. I always liked the fact that the Special Ops team realized that Stingrays real name wasn't ever said in WC2 and so developed reasons for both his first and last names to be stated in the addons. Very much the same geek culture that's behind Star*Soldier.
  • ... and there's a lot to this story, too! It's patterned after the "Enyo Engagement" plan from the original Claw Marks and is, again, designed to expand the Nephilim War backstory through a small seed.
  • "Ardai" - One of the original Wing Commander star systems, from the Vega Sector map included in Wing Commander I. It's referenced at least once in that game's dialogue, too.
  • "Alliance" - This is an important point that people didn't pick up way back in 1994. There's a difference, in Voices of War and the WC3 material, between the Terran Confederation and the Terran Alliance. The former is the United States and the latter is the United Nations (in the World War II sense - the allies). The Alliance includes all sorts of unspecified smaller nations (Firekkans, Varni, etc.) who are also in the fight against the Kilrathi but who haven't signed on to Confed. I resurrected that group here to face off against the Nephilim and, obviously, added the Kilrathi to its ranks.
  • "Ja'targk clan" - This clan was introduced in the Super Wing Commander version of Claw Marks, where Khajja the Fang's full name was listed for the first time.
  • "tie up" - I used 'tie up' twice in one ship description. I know this isn't Shakespeare, but ick. Thanks for making me revisit this, jerks.
  • "missile frigate" - References the oft-suggested idea that frigates in the Wing Commander universe have more specific roles than other ships of the line... and are so large because they carry things like munitions rather than energy weapons.
  • "space superiority fighters" - Term comes from Wing Commander Prophecy's ICIS manual, which so-defines the Panther and the Vampire.
  • "Paw DF," "Claw HS" - One last note before I forget: the 'Kilrathi' versions of the missiles come from Wing Commander Armada. The human names (Dart, Javelin, Spiculum) come from the original Claw Marks.
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Original update published on August 23, 2008
 
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I'm really glad that we're running these glosses. It really brings to light all the love for Wing Commander that was behind the scenes during the making of this game.
 
Yeah, they're incredibly sweet. I also didn't remember the "Terran Alliance".

Though I half expected some sort of "mea culpa" for the Kilrathi missile designations because we all know the Kilrathi HS has the designation "Stalker". ;)
 
I believe that came from the game itself -- it started off with all the missiles earlier in development and then at some point most of them became HSes.
 
I confess that I, too, missed the Terran Alliance references in Voices of War. True, there were only two of them, but I suppose it really is quite a significant difference in references.
 
"Alliance" - This is an important point that people didn't pick up way back in 1994. There's a difference, in Voices of War and the WC3 material, between the Terran Confederation and the Terran Alliance. The former is the United States and the latter is the United Nations (in the World War II sense - the allies). The Alliance includes all sorts of unspecified smaller nations (Firekkans, Varni, etc.) who are also in the fight against the Kilrathi but who haven't signed on to Confed. I resurrected that group here to face off against the Nephilim and, obviously, added the Kilrathi to its ranks.
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Very, very true. For example, take the ending of WC1SM2:Crusade

"Lkhi Settlement, Northern Hemisphere, Firekka.
The Firekka shout their triumph as the Kilrathi warships leave their planet. The Tiger’s Claw pilots have inflicted enough damage that the Kilrathi must abandon the Antares sector. The Firekka raise their guns in defiance – a proud, brave new ally of the Terran Confederation. "

An ally of Confed, not part of Confed. What confuses me is when Hobbes calls the Ghora Khar people (cats?) "Confederation Citzens".

So, I wonder:

  1. Confed only has hairless apes, or other friendly aliens?
  2. Are the Mopoks part of the Terran Alliance (or at least co-belligerant)?
  3. Aren't the Varni all dead?
 
An ally of Confed, not part of Confed. What confuses me is when Hobbes calls the Ghora Khar people (cats?) "Confederation Citzens".
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Right thought, wrong example -Firekka *did* join the Confederation. It's made more clear in Freedom Flight (and Fleet Action), but it's even stated in Secret Missions 2: "Can you believe it? A new planet is joining the Confederation..." (Shotglass)

Firekka then *leaves* the Confederation in Fleet Action when they refuse to abide by the armistice agreement.

Ghorah Khar also joined the Confederation: "Used to be. The local Kilrathi rebelled and joined the Confederation." (Downtown, WC2)

Confed only has hairless apes, or other friendly aliens?
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Other friendly aliens are included (maybe the strangely colored characters from WCA?). Action Stations claims that (in 2634) the Confederation consists of half a dozen races.

Are the Mopoks part of the Terran Alliance (or at least co-belligerant)?
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No - there's a "prime directive" that prevents the Confederation from formally contacting them. I think this was even addressed in an earlier Star*Soldier update.

Aren't the Varni all dead?
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No, you're thinking of one of the earlier Kilrathi conquests (Hari, Utara or Shata). The Varni were the lizard-like aliens who were conquered in the last war the Kilrathi fought. They're introduced in Action Stations and the fact that there was a massive wave of Varni refugees who escaped to Confederation space is spoken of.
 
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